Hitting Send

And so there remain Faith, Hope, Love–these three; and of these the greatest is Love.

When I was sent this quote by a friend earlier in the week, it felt very on track with a theme that had been dancing lovely circles ’round my brain for days, and I felt compelled to look it up. I came upon many parallel translations, the main difference being the final word, which has been translated as “love” in some Biblical versions, and “charity” in others. Hmmm… well, most certainly interchangeable, as charity is love, and love is charity. In one commentary I read, it stated that, “Charity is love to God creating in us love towards our neighbor. ” Hey, and if that’s what it takes, I say, “Yes, indeed!” Do unto others, right? But it goes so far beyond that for me.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about “The Ripple Effect”. You know? How positive thoughts and actions expand outward to effect others lives, who in turn will add to the “ripple” with their own positive thoughts and actions. Paying it forward. The truth is, we will never really know the full effect of how our actions effect those with whom we come in contact, which in turn passes along that energy to others. A simple “hello”, a genuine smile, compliment, or compassionate glance, can all have such beautiful effects of which we’ll never really be aware.

A few months back my beautiful mother was reading the book Three Cups of Tea and I watched as it sparked a desire in her to contribute to the village of Askole, Pakistan, which she was not only reading about, but with which she was also quickly falling in love. My mom is a conscientious Global Citizen of our Earth, with a very generous heart. I have been privileged to watch her share wherever she can, but this time I watched in awe as her latest project took on a life of its own and rippled beautifully outward around the globe. Go mom!

From her initial, “It’s really cold there, so I want to make scarves for the children in Askole! Do you think my readers would help?” came her post Get Out Your Knitting Needles! Sure enough, people around the globe volunteered to knit scarves for the children. Other bloggers became inspired, writing about the project, myself included, asking their readers to knit scarves for the “Scarf Initiative”. If my hands were properly healed, I would have knitted a scarf as well, but ummm.., my last attempt was on a 14-hour-day on the set of “The OC”, and… well, I would feel sorry for the kid! Honestly! Just mean! lol But, there was another role I could play, and that was to hear mom through both the joys and some of the ‘glitchy’ stuff associated with getting scarves to a very remote village in Pakistan. Each time she explained a new challenge with which she was being faced, she would laugh her gorgeous laugh and accept the new challenge as a part of the journey. She was always quickly rewarded for her positive spirits with even more support and assistance from friends, family and “strangers” alike. The scarves, hats, socks and mittens poured in! Each box was happily and most gratefully received by mom, who called to share her excitement.

This excitement will be carried forth even further this 20 November, when she hosts a showing of the scarves at a beloved local watering hole, Tierra Art Garden Wine. The next day, all of the scarves will journey from where they were lovingly collected in Northern California, to their new home in Askole village. It’s hard to know of the positive effects one has by sending soft, warm articles of clothing lovingly handmade with the greatest intentions to a remote village on the other side of the planet, but I’m venturing to guess that the ripples shall continue. Beautiful work, mom! Blessings to you and all who contributed. May the gifts arrive safely and be received with the love/charity with which they were given.
Please click here to view the Gorgeous scarves people made and to stay updated on the Scarf Initiative.

I can’t remember how old I was when my mom first started smudging down the house with sage sticks, but I recall feeling the effects of what she was doing, as there was a noticeable energy difference in the house once she had mindfully gone from room to room waving the smoking bundle of sage. ‘Smudging’ is the common name given for the Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing, a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition. To define it more clearly, shamanic smudging is the burning of herbs or incense for cleansing, purification, protection of physical and spiritual bodies, banishment of negative energies and creation of sacred space. The smoke attaches itself to negative energies, and as the smoke clears, it takes the negative energy with it, and is used by Native Americans, healers, religious and spiritual groups, and more. The house felt better.. lighter, after my mom had done this “spiritual house cleaning”, and I thus learned a respect for the Native American tradition. I have always purchased my sage sticks, but when I took myself on an Artist’s Date to make herb pots back in May, I specifically planted sage so that I would be able to make my own sage sticks at long last!

A few weeks ago, it became quite evident that it was time to harvest my sage for my first ever smudge stick making attempt. While many different herbs can be used to make smudge sticks, such as sage, sweet grass, rosemary, cedar, mugwort, pine, and/or juniper, they are most commonly made with white sage. I grew common sage, which can cause respiratory irritation in some people, although the same can be said for sage in general. (Note: Please experiment carefully, especially if you are asthmatic or have respiratory issues.) I have not had a problem with it, and was grateful for its abundant harvest. I asked the plant for permission, cut it down with loving intent and appreciation, then hung it to dry. Ohh, no! What’s that? If you know how smudge sticks are traditionally made, you know that it is to roll them while the leaves are fresh and moist. But when I researched it, I came across directions telling me I could dry the leaves first, and, knowing how long it takes for common sage to dry, mixed with an unwillness for any mildew to form in the middle of my smudge stick (yuck! the antithesis of its intent!), I opted to use the drying-first method.

Just as there are many uses for them, there are many methods for making a smudge stick. The easiest and most common way is to bundle a few sprigs, about 8-11 inches in length, tying them together at the base with jute, hemp or cotton (the length of string needed is about 2 1/2 times the height of the cut sage branches).

Wrap the string firmly around the bundled branches from base to the tips, then switch directions, wrapping back towards the base. This should form a criss-cross pattern. Tie the two ends of string together at the base. More complex methods of smudge stick making use newspaper, or even sushi mats to tightly roll the leaves together. Find what works best for you.

My First Ever Smudge Stick

I didn’t have the heart to cut in half such beautifully tall branches, so one smudge stick came out rather tall. I was thinking I could send it to Barack Obama, as clearing negative energies from the White House is going to be a BIG job! *giggle*

Here they are!!!

With my smudge stick made, I carefully lit the tips, which was quick to smolder without burning. Hey! Perfect! I went about the house clearing away all the emotional and psychic “garbage” that may have gathered. I always begin at the bottom of the house and move upwards. I also choose to work in a counter-clockwise direction to remove old energies. Smudging in a clockwise direction, around the perimeter of the room or building, or honoring the four directions and elements are the more common methods of smudging, but as always, it is about the intention and what feels right to you.I can always feel the stuck energy, awaiting release. My smudge stick burned evenly, smoothly and better than many that I have purchased in stores! Awesome! Not only that, my house felt wonderful!

I was very careful to carry a ceramic dish beneath it for the bits of burning leaf and ash that fall. You must always be very mindful with smudge sticks. Always make certain your smudge stick is out before leaving the room. The best way to extinguish a smudge stick is to dampen it in sand or earth, but you can also just press it into the bottom of a shell, glass or ceramic dish. If you must, you can use a small amount of water, which is how my mom chooses to extinguish her smudge sticks.

Regardless of the types of sage stick used, or your smudging method, it is an easy, totally adaptable, user-friendly tool which I highly recommend. Our bodies and all that is around us vibrate as a subtle, invisible energy (chi or qi, prana, quwa, etc.) which needs to be brought back into balance. Smudging is a wonderful way to cleanse, purify, clear, and release this spiritual energy, restoring harmony and creating a greater flow. It’ll make you and your home feel better. Happy smudging!